1. Field of Invention
At least one feature pertains to a modified door hinge with locking mechanism.
2. Background of Invention
A door is an entryway into a room. A door can pivot about a frame through one or more hinges, which allows the door to be opened and closed. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a door. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates a door 100 that is coupled to a frame 108 through several hinges (e.g., first hinge 102, second hinge 104, and third hinge 106). As mentioned above, these hinges 102-106 allow the door 100 to pivot and thereby allow the door 100 to open and close. As shown in FIG. 1, the hinge 102 includes several components, including a first set of knuckles 110, a second set of knuckles 112 and a pin 114.
FIG. 2 illustrates a more detailed example of a conventional hinge used to couple a door to a frame (e.g., wall). As shown in FIG. 2, the hinge 200 includes a first wing 202, a second wing 204 and a pin 206. The first wing 202 includes several knuckles that have holes in them. The second wing 204 also includes several knuckles that have holes in them as well. The first wing 202 is a door wing that is coupled to the door. The second wing 204 is a frame wing that is coupled to the frame. The first wing 202 and the second wing 204 may be coupled together through the pin 206. When the first wing 202 and the second wing 204 are coupled together, the pin 206 traverses through the holes in the knuckles of the first and second wings 202-204.
The door can be locked into a closed positioned through the use of locks/bolts that are located at near the handle of the door. In some instances, it may be desirable to leave the door ajar and/or slightly open. For example, it may be desirable to leave a door slightly open so that a pet (e.g., dog) can go in and out of a room, while preventing another pet (e.g., another larger dog) from entering the room. Typically, to secure/lock the door in a slightly ajar position and/or open position (e.g., slightly ajar from the closed position), an object is typically placed at the base of the door. For example, a wedge may be positioned at the base of the door to lock the door in an ajar/open position. However, the use of a wedge is often unreliable as it can be easily moved/removed. In addition, a wedge is aesthetically unpleasant.
As such there is a need for a locking mechanism that allows a user to secure/lock a door in an open/ajar position. Ideally, such a locking mechanism allows for variable/multiple locking positions.